Dynamite; $4.99 

Kermit the Frog is really stressed out about putting on the next Muppet’s Show. So stressed that he needs to take a break from the backstage chaos… which is about the time that he gets pulled into a noir detective story. 

Kermie is private detective Flip Minnow who has just been hired by Dolores Crustworth, the queen of pies, to find her missing niece, Meringue (aka Miss Piggy). Flip’s investigation takes him to the police station where Officer O’Bear puts him on the path to find a Mister Gonzini, who may know something about Meringue’s whereabouts.  

The Muppets have a successful track record of spoofing other genres, and that continues in this story written and illustrated by Roger Langridge. They follow the staples of a good noir story in a family-friendly way that is funny and clever. Part of the book’s punch comes from Flip’s silly affliction and his lack of awareness on several occasions. The bow on this book is the coloring by Dearbhla Kelly who gives the iconic characters their usual hues as they are surrounded by the black and white of a classic detective story. 

–Amanda Sheriff